Job Announcement

Director, Children's Services

Location - Staten Island Family Justice Center

Agency Description:

STEPS To End Family Violence (STEPS) - founded in 1986 by the legendary Sister Mary Nerney - offers a variety of innovative, trauma-informed, anti-oppressive programming focused on the prevention of intimate partner violence; advocacy and healing for survivors and children impacted by abusive partner behavior; as well as training and education intended to increase awareness of the epidemic of gender-based violence; and advocacy and activist efforts designed to transform the rhetoric and institutions that sustain such violence. STEPS is a program of Edwin Gould Services for Children and Families.

Location and Position Summary:

The Director of Children’s Services position is located at the Staten Island Family Justice Center (SIFJC). The Family Justice Centers are an initiative of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence and are designed to reduce barriers to support faced by survivors of intimate partner violence, elder abuse and sex trafficking. STEPS is co-located at the SIFJCand partners with the Mayor's Office, the Richmond County District Attorney's Office and other community-based organizations to provide a safe and welcoming place for survivors and their children.

The STEPS Children's Services staff at the SIFJC provides clinical and supportive services to child witnesses of intimate partner violence.The Director of Children's Services implements and oversees all aspects of the Children’s Services provided by STEPS staff at the SIFJC. The ideal candidate will bring a passion for social justice and anti-oppressive practice, ample experience providing clinical services to child witnesses of intimate partner violence and/or other forms of trauma, a desire to work collaboratively with a team of creative and committed advocates, and has demonstrated experience providing reflective clinical and administrative supervision.

Core Responsibilities:

  • Oversees all services provided by the STEPS Children’s Services staff at the SIFJC, including individual and group therapy, childcare and recreational activities, to ensure quality and appropriateness of services.
  • Provide clinical and case management supervision to staff and interns; assist in resolving complex case management issues; conduct one-on-one supervisory sessions for all staff and interns; work collaboratively with faculty of sponsoring educational institutions to train and evaluate interns.
  • Ensure that staff appropriately counsel and engage clients; monitor compliance with case contact requirements; assist staff to utilize legal, social, housing, educational, employment, and other resources which will enable clients to effectively navigate the criminal legal and social service systems; aid staff in making meaningful referrals.
  • Manage the performance of paid staff; assess training and development needs of staff; assist with in-service training; evaluate job performance; appropriately address performance problems.
  • Ensure that staff have the necessary supports to respond to client needs; responds to work-related stress of staff and interns.
  • Actively engages in inter-disciplinary collaboration and case coordination with administrative staff of the SIFJC and other partner agencies.
  • Develops relationships with community-based resources and links clients with services.
  • Participates in weekly supervision and attends other meetings as required.
  • Performs administrative tasks as needed.
  • Maintains program records and completes reports.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

  • LCSW and SIFI certification (or eligible for SIFI certification), required.
  • Training in Childhood Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Parenting Journey and/or other evidence based practice designed to support child survivors of trauma, required.
  • Bi-lingual English/Spanish,preferred.
  • Strong and diverse clinical and supervisory skills;
  • Dynamic understanding of the impact that abusive partner behavior and other forms of trauma has on children’s social, emotional and cognitive development;
  • Keen ability to work with individuals of diverse backgrounds and identities;
  • Exceptional interpersonal, speaking, and writing skills and the ability to apply these skills in varied situations;
  • Demonstrated ability to be flexible and work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team as well as independently;
  • Ability to work flexible hours;
  • Ability to work independently and accountably.

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to: